Tactic of the Week
Try these techniques, says Dr Paul Garner
Lure fishing for big perch. Dr Paul Garner reveals his tips
NOTHING beats the electrifying feeling of a fish hitting a lure. In that instant you are connected to a predator you’ve fooled into attacking your artificial bait.
I am not alone in discovering the fascinating world of lure fishing, arguably the fastest-growing area of our sport right now, and a trend that has flourished thanks to the humble perch. None of our other predators is as obliging or numerous as these banded warriors, so whether you fish canals, pools or rivers there are sure to be opportunities to catch perch on artificials.
FAST DROP SHOT
Drop shotting was certainly at the forefront of modern lure techniques that captured anglers’ imaginations, but I find it to be at its most effective when the water is cold and the fish are hugging the bottom.
Right now, perch can be caught anywhere from just under the surface down, and lures that can be worked fast normally get more of a response.
That doesn’t mean you have to leave your drop shotting gear at home. Why not hook on an 8cm paddle-tail shad and fish a fast, stop-start retrieve instead?
The faster retrieve really gets the tail of the lure working hard, and you can add as much weight as you need to keep the lure down without affecting its action.
WEEDLESS JIGS
Snags and weedbeds are the bane of the lure angler’s life at this time of year. It can be really annoying if you are picking up weed or constantly snagging up. Fortunately, there is a simple way to avoid this problem that works great with perch lures, especially worm-shaped baits. The only specialist gear that you need are some wide gape worm hooks. These have a much bigger gape than normal, and I choose the hook size based on the gape needing to be a minimum of one-and-a half times the depth of the bait. When the lure is rigged it does look strange, having the hookpoint level with the back of the bait and the bend exposed below it. But as soon as a perch bites down on the lure the hook springs upwards and the hookpoint is exposed, giving a very high hooking-up rate.
I like to attach a separate weight to the hook ‘Jika-style’ so that I can change the loading quickly. A small Arlesey bomb, attached via a small clip, is all that you need to complete the set-up.
For this style I favour a worm bait, such as the Westin CurlTeez. Its slim profile makes it easy to hook, and it works well in weed.
CRANKBAITS
One of the latest underground trends is the resurgence of small crankbaits for perch. These hard lures work best in autumn when the perch are feeding hard on coarse fish fry and are willing
to chase down baits. On my local rivers it’s common to see perch chasing small fish across the surface at dusk, and it’s no surprise that this is the time to break out the crankbaits.
With their plastic front lips, crankbaits will dive as soon as the retrieve begins. The bait has to be matched to the water depth, otherwise you will be fishing either too shallow or too deep.
Lures with a medium-sized lip that dive to one to two metres are generally the most useful. Their fast action puts out a lot of vibration. Many also contain internal rattles, which attract perch from quite some distance, and often fish will appear out of nowhere to nail a crankbait at the last second. Try winding the lure down hard at the start of the cast, then ease off, pausing every few turns of the reel handle to allow the lure to hang for a few seconds before resuming the retrieve.
Autumn perch are really aggressive and you can get some fantastic action. Don’t be surprised if you witness gangs of stripeys chasing after your lure, before the boldest accelerates forward and grabs it. Exciting times await!